Monthly Archives: December 2011

Sissy's goal for 2012 is to look like Isabella; photo taken from Jill Packer Quilting Arts 2012 Calendar.

…is captured in a photo. Yep, take a look at Jill Packer’s ‘Iconic Miss Isabella (Iguana).’ Yep, that’s what I’m going to look like by this time next year. Yep, that’s me – magnificently prehistoric, haughty, sumptuously textured and fascinating (those are Ms Packer’s words not mine).

Take a look at Isabella’s eyelashes made from fringed leather and the beaded embellishment bracelets she flashes on her wrist. It’s the French knots and the large and small beads that give her skin that encrusted look. Yep, that’s gonna be me.

If you want to see Isabella and 12 other stitched, painted, and embellished quilts featuring animals, look at Jill Packer’s  Quilting Arts 2012 Calendar.

Yep, now you know – hope you get more beautiful this year too – smile.

Luv,

Sissy

Photo courtesy Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau

... set for Feb. 18,19 & 20. Just think of it:

100 magnificent glass floats,

100 beautiful glass crabs or sand dollars,

and 100 collector antique 
Japanese glass floats!

Occasionally, during the Finders Keepers season the Lincoln City Visitor and Convention Bureau places  extra pieces of glass art on the beaches for beachcombers to find (See? They are just kidding when they day drop – they really mean carefully placed – smile).

During the 2012 season, those dates are – write ‘em down – :

February 18 – 20, 2012
March 24 & 25, 2012
April 7 & 8, 2012

You can read more about finding your own glass float at  Finders Keepers – the Right Thing to Do in LIncoln City or visit http://www.oregoncoast.org/finders-keepers/

Maybe see you there?

Luv,

Sissy

Helping Buster celebrate his first holiday season is (from left to right), David Pike, Buster and K.C. VanNatta; photo by Jan Jackson.

…Buster (he is the one in the middle) was born out of necessity  – sort of an Oregonians way of making lemonade out of lemons. You see, when you live in Oregon, it is easy to plant a tree and watch it grow too big for the bed in which it was planted. That was the case for Buster.

About 50 years ago,someone planted an adorable little Sequoya too close to the house. Flowers and such started getting planted around it that needed fertilizing (“Oh num num,” said the tree) and watered (“Ooohhhh, love that water,” said the tree) and then the tree roots got so big they started raising the foundation of the house.

David Pike (he’s the one on the left) did the smart thing. He called in longtime expert tree farmer and logger K.C. VanNatta (he’s the one on the right). K.C. could see that the tree had to come down and since it had to go, he came up with the idea of at least getting a chain saw artist to come in and create something fun out of the stump. Well,David wanted a bear.

You can read about the chainsaw artist at http://countrytraveleronline.com/2011/11/14/chainsaw-artist-turns-tree-stump-into-art/, and you can read about the logger at http://countrytraveleronline.com/2011/02/25/romancing-the-douglas-fir/ - and of course, you’re reading about Buster, right here.

Both stories will show how  the Oregon way is to make lemonade when you are handed a lemon – smile. Luv,

Sissy

Tradition of 30-years, is a model train and village under the Christmas tree at the Oregon State Capitol; photo by Jan Jackson

….without an electric train running through a miniature village underneath a 35 foot Christmas tree? Well, you won’t have to find out because volunteer model-train enthusiasts Allen Bennett, Keizer and Don Curtis, Turner, have been bring in a train, setting up the village under the tree at the Capitol for 30-years.

Parents who enjoyed the train and village as children are now bringing their children and Bennett and Curtis’ children and grandchildren are helping them set it up.

Down by the station

Early in the morning

See the little pufferbellies

All in a row

If you aren’t yet a part of this wonderful tradition, I suggest you get started – smile.

Happy Holidays,

Luv,

Sissy

The Oregon State Seal was designed in 1857, two years before Oregon became a state; photo by Jan Jackson.

… is beautifully decked out with poinsettias. Trust me. It is a sight to behold.

The Seal of the State of Oregon, (it’s the official one), was designed by Harvey Gordon in 1857, two years before Oregon was admitted to the Union.

It consists of an outer ring with the text “State of Oregon”, “1859”. The inner circle contains an American eagle atop a shield. The shield depicts mountains, an elk, a covered wagon, and the Pacific Ocean.

In the ocean, symbolizing the end of British rule in the Oregon Country, a British man-of-war is departing and an American steamer is arriving. The elk represents the plentiful game found in the state. The second quartering shows a sheaf, a plow and a pickaxe. These symbolize mining and husbandry. The banner is inscribed

“The Union”. Thirty-three stars surrounding the shield represent the number of states upon Oregon’s entry into the union in 1859. The seal also appears on one side of Oregon’s state flag.

If you can’t go at Christmastime, just visualize all those poinsettias around it whenever you do go. You’ll find it beautiful anyway.

Happy Holidays,

Luv,

Sissy